Ant-Zen
Synapscape have long represented the sound of Ant-Zen, the ratherprolific post-industrial German label that has achieved a remarkablelevel of popularity and respect worldwide since the late 90s. The firstproject to release a CD on the label, Synapscape managed to, (andcontinues to) contribute a great deal to the catalog with 5 full-lengthalbums, a handful of singles and EPs, and countless productions fromtheir many side-projects and related projects (Templegarden's, ArsMoriendi, Morgenstern). Here on their fifth release, the duo present acollection of unreleased and compilation-only tracks from 1994 through2001. As with any CD of this kind, there's quite a bit of material herebetter left for the home studio vaults or the obscurity of a limitededition CD-R packed in a clamshell with barbed-wire, spraypaintedsilver, and hand-numbered. Beat-less dark ambient noisescapes are theultimate cop-out for industrial acts everywhere, and I, for one,fast-forwarded through the ones on 'Raw'. I scanned for theclub-friendly (a rather loose term when discussing this type of music)tracks, and was rewarded with the unintelligible vocals and filthybeats of "My Distance" and "Stop Yield." Other heavy rhythmic cutsinclude "Once Again You Die," and "Peter The Repeater," a remix forformer Ars Moriendi bandmate Asche. While this mediocre collection willcertainly not entice too many new fans, 'Raw' will definately find aplace in the hearts of Synapscape fans still awaiting newer material(which, as it turns out, will include another collaboration with fellowpower noise kingpin Imminent). Considering how much I enjoyed theirlast album ('Positive Pop'), I expect nothing but high qualitylo-fidelity sounds to come.
BlueSanct
I just can't get enough of Nathan Amundson's Rivulets. While Amundsonis a relatively new voice—with only one album and a handful of EPs,singles, and compilation appearances—healways sounds like he knows the deal. He's known it all his life andnow, finally, he's expressing his feelings on the matter. This EP onBlueSanct, recorded live on Icelandic National Radio (hence the title)features recordings of four songs from the Rivulets self-titled debutperformed by Amundson alone. Where the recordings on the debut werestronger for their arrangements and recording, this is the trueRivulets. The songs work best with just acoustic guitar and voice, aspleading and desperate as possible. It's funny, but they're moreexpressive this way, where Amundson can show off his most raw andemotional baggage. Where his solitary contributions on other releaseshave been sketchy, mainly due to weaknesses in the vocals department,he's more assured here, like he's finally protected by that blanketagain and no one can touch him now. The lyrics on "Four Weeks" are evenmore appropriate, with the "desperate" refrain, so much that it seemsAmundson is singing them out to anyone who will listen to join him,just so he won't feel so alone. The fragility of his voice on "How,Who?" and "Stead" is especially touching, even when he falters a bit.In fact, especially when he falters, showing us his weakness again.This EP works well for cold season, as it's clearly the mostappropriate time.
samples:
Mandragora Records 
We are living in a golden age for mind-expanding, foundation-rumblingpsych chaos, as evidenced by this particular slice of aluminum. Inspite of coming from all corners of the globe, all 12 participants herehave obviously been huffing the same UFO vapors. Robot vs. Rabbitlumbers through a buzzing, Earth-like dirge. In perhaps the weirdestpiece on the disc, Interferents wring out some insane toy vocals over ahallucinatory jam. Pine Tree State Mind Control exhume the corpse ofearly Chrome and turn it into a conveyer belt. Escapade's loose,sprawling improv whips up a fresh black hole. Sure to make this comp abestseller, the ubiquitous Acid Mothers Temple crash land the mothership into heavy metal histrionics. Reynols' shamanic drone prayer makesearly Amon Duul seem coherent and tight (that's a compliment, by theway). Finnish band Circle finish things off by returning us to morefamiliar krautrockish territories, somewhat reminiscent of the live Canstuff released a few years back. What makes this comp so great is theheavy layer of outer space that all of this music travels throughbefore it reaches your ears. No duds to be found here. This music isunhitched, but not at all inept. They know where they are taking you.Like the liner notes say: "The path of pure psychedelic noise awaitsyou."
samples:
- Acid Mothers Temple - Spaced Out
- Reynols - Un Tiermo Exsina
- Interferents - Rosewood Frog with Serbian Eye
Cold Spring
This is a reworked reissue of an early 90's tape which came out of acollaboration between The Grey Wolves and Shockcity as a comment on theGulf War. In these times, where a second one seems not very far away(depending on the daily news), it sounds astonishingly fresh andtimely. There is a certain bleakness in these two lengthy pieces.("Desert Storm" is slightly over 30 minutes long while "Gulf Breeze" isover 26 minutes.) There's a certain Rough Trade-era Cabaret Voltairequality about the songs, not particularly in the music itself, but inthe emotional landscape explored. The theme of war is clear, as is thebreakdown of communication. The Grey Wolves do this with delays,electronic distortion, distant ramblings, hypnotic loops, and echoes.Samples are clearly identifiable as vocals but only fragments areunderstandable.Absent are overused "aesthetic/artistic" shock tactics but the GreyWolves clearly point out with this atmospheric work that we are nothingmore than passive watchers from an armchair in (assumably) a safedistance. It's a subtly packaged critique which is an enjoyable listenat it's own terms. It both leaves me in thoughts and creates the spacefor it.
samples:
Ernest Jenning Recording Co.
Drew Isleib is a singer-songwriter in the very traditional style whouses occasional untraditional (read: electronic) elements to bring hissound across. Recorded entirely by Isleib in his makeshift portablestudio, his debut is chock-full of good songs, from the downtroddenalbum opener to the fun-loving jangly pop of "Orion." Isleib plays allof the instruments on these songs, and it is the true mark of thetroubadour that he uses whatever he needs to get the song across.Programmed drums, guitar, electric piano, what have you; Isleib playsit with modest skill and intent. He's been billed as the guy who usedto show up at your high school and college parties with an acoustic andstart playing songs to anyone who would care, only better. I wish Icould have had Drew at my parties, because these songs are meant to beheard by that crowd. There is a slight preoccupation with alcohol onthis release (appropriate for high school and college parties), andenough variation that it would serve as a good mix. But I wasparticularly impressed with Isleib's voice and how expressive it is.Different songs feature a different voice, as his delivery changesappropriately to suit the song. It's a rare trait, as many vocalistsget stuck in the rut of writing music to match the voice. And even ifthe sound strays from the traditional sounds of acoustic guitar andmild percussion, the voice still fits. Isleib even tours the countryplaying at people's houses on their couches. It's ultimately the waymusic this familiar is meant to be heard. So kick back, check out thesamples, and relax. Cause Drew ain't goin' anywhere just yet.
samples:
The idea behind the 'In the Fishtank' series sounds really good: get two (or more) bands touring the area (broadly, the Netherlands,) and get them to record a live album in the studio, spontaneously. Like most things that look great on paper, the execution fails gloriously, and on many levels. Maybe Sonic Youth was having a bad day, or possibly the I.C.P. or The Ex took over a whole lot of the sound on this album, but please, if you have anything else you'd rather do, don't hesitate to do that instead of listening to this album. It has all the annoying qualities of a pretentious John Zorn release (and none of the positive, like the amazing musicianship of some of the early John Zorn stuff.) The rush of recording constraints forced on the groups probably didn't help the creation of their numbered tracks. The seemingly random numbering of the tracks gives me the impression that these pieces were just made with no intent in mind, just to take up time. Weird atonal honking horns are ok, but not if they're boring you to death. If you like Sonic Youth (or any of the other bands,) at all, avoid this thing like the plague.
23 Skidoo have one of the most fascinating but neglected bodies of work in the annals of the early 80's post-punk/industrial diaspora, so why haven't you heard of them? Directly related to such luminaries as Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, This Heat, Psychic TV, Current 93 and Coil, the Turnbull brothers have nonetheless been reduced to a footnote in most accounts of the genre, which has led to the total unavailability of their material for the last 20 years. The new schedule of CD re-issues of their entire back catalog by 23 Skidoo's own Ronin Records should rectify this situation; they definitely don't deserve their near total obscurity. With a name straight out of Aleister Crowley's "Book of Lies" and a pair of martial arts-trained brothers at the center of the band, 23 Skidoo seem ripe for a critical rediscovery and re-appraisal. Their classic albums and 12" dance singles presage so many of the developments in post-punk, avant-garde and electronic music throughout the 80's and 90's—sampling, tape manipulation, afrobeat fusion, ethnic percussion, drum n' bass, ambient. Their music has become sampling fodder for countless mainstream dance and hip-hop acts. Listening to these albums is like hearing a crate-digging beathead's secret stash of funky basslines and weird breakbeats, all wrapped up in a package of some of the most influential and idiosyncratic music to come out of the industrial era. Spurred on by the release of Soul Jazz's compilation 'In The Beginning, There Was Rhythm', and the renewed interest in the sound of Sheffield circa 1977-84, these re-issues come at a perfect time for listeners to educate themselves on the multifarious sounds of 23 Skidoo.
The fourth release from COH this year is the first all-new recording. Four paintings and four pieces represent the year's four seasons, recorded and painted from summer 2001 to spring 2002 by Ivan Pavlov and his wife, deliberately conceived and packed on a limited double 12" vinyl set in a glossy gatefold cover.
I don't think I will ever get tired of the novelty of locked-groove records. Originally released in 2000, this compilation is making its rounds again. What sets this pile of locked grooves apart from other similar releases like RRR 500 or Non's 'Pagan Muzak' is that a large number of these are actually based on beats.
Just when it seems that there's no such thing as any uplifting sounds in indie rock, a quiet voice is heard from the other shores from what could be a distant time. The Clientele are based in London, but could easily be a dead ringer for the Mersey sound of the late 1960s.
